Agenda

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C.131

To:	Board of Supervisors
From:	Robin Lipetzky, Public Defender
Date:	September 12, 2017

Contra

Costa

County

Subject:

Public Defender Forensic Evidence Training Project

APPROVE	OTHER
RECOMMENDATION OF CNTY ADMINISTRATOR	RECOMMENDATION OF BOARD COMMITTEE

Action of Board On: 09/12/2017

APPROVED AS RECOMMENDED

OTHER

Clerks Notes:

VOTE OF SUPERVISORS

AYE:

John Gioia, District I Supervisor
Candace Andersen, District II Supervisor
Diane Burgis, District III Supervisor
Karen Mitchoff, District IV Supervisor
Federal D. Glover, District V Supervisor

Contact:

Donna Broussard, (925) 335-8065

I hereby certify that this is a true and correct copy of an action taken and entered on the minutes of the Board of Supervisors on the date shown.
ATTESTED: September 12, 2017
David Twa,

BY:	, Deputy

RECOMMENDATION(S):

APPROVE and AUTHORIZE the Public Defender, or designee, to represent the County as co-sponsor and fiscal agent for a DNA forensic evidence professional training event for state and federal defense attorneys on November 2-3, 2017, at the Federal Conference Center Oakland, California.

FISCAL IMPACT:

No fiscal impact.

BACKGROUND:

In cooperation with the Northern California District of the Federal Defenders Office, the Public Defender is co-sponsoring an intensive two-day training program for public agency defense attorneys designed to provide familiarity with DNA forensic analysis and report interpretation. This in-service training event will be available to those Deputy Public Defender's attorneys having current cases involving DNA evidence and defense attorney from other public agencies throughout California. Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credit required for State Licensing will be awarded to the program participants, at the completion of the training. This training event is scheduled for November 2-3, 2017, and attendance will be limited to seventy five (75) participants. The training will cover issues relevant to criminal litigation, including: admissibility challenges, cross-examination of government experts and jury instructions, following a review of forensic fundamentals for DNA testing evidence (including: laboratory procedures, testing protocols, statistical significance and probabilistic genotyping). This training was done in 2016 and we were invited again this year to co-host this event.

CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:

The Public Defender would not be able to co-host this event.